One of the most beautiful corners of Sicily
If you have between one or two weeks to discover the most characteristic corners of the chaotic, beautiful and diverse Sicily, without a doubt Taormina It will be one of the stops along the way that other travelers will recommend the most to you and that you will remember the most when you return from your vacation. You will wonder why. Mainly because it's an enclave that inspires and falls in love from the first moment.
The visit to this town located in the province of Messina, in the east of the island , is well worth a couple of nights for all the attractions that are located both in the city and in its surroundings (just an hour's drive away you will find the imposing Etna volcano).
Taormina was founded in the year 304 BC. on Mount Taurus. In Latin its name is Tauromenium and it emerged as a colony of Syracuse. Throughout history they have passed through Taormina Romans, Arabs, Normans and Greeks so it is a place where the passage of many peoples and civilizations is noted.
With a Greek soul and a Roman heritage , there are still remnants in perfect condition of what was once this jewel of the Ionian Sea.
Nowadays, it is one of the most glamorous tourist stops on the island and you can find luxurious hotels, manicured gardens, clean beaches and streets full of souvenirs, shops and restaurants that despite the fact that they have not been able to escape from the tourist footprint, they have managed to maintain the essence that characterizes it so much.
When the tide is low, the island turns into a peninsula ready to be explored
In the lower part of Taormina, specifically in the coastal area of Mazzarò can be found as emerged from the sea the wonderful, mystical and special Isola Bella , an island connected to the coast by a small strip of sand that it can only be accessed when the tide is low and it becomes the delight of the visitor who decides to spend the day soaking in this unique beach.
HOW TO GET TO ISOLA BELLA?
If you have left your car in one of the car parks located in the lower part of the city of Taormina and you have decided to discover the pedestrian center, when the time comes you will ask yourself how to go down to that beach that you can see at your feet from the top of the hillside. There are two more economical, beautiful and recommended options.
On the one hand you have the option of walk down the stairs after taking Rue Luigi Pirandello , you just have to follow the signs on the signs or ask the locals about how to get to Isola Bella.
The road can be a bit heavy if the rays of the midday sun hit hard, but if, on the contrary, the day is cloudy or it is still early, in just half an hour you will have reached this beautiful beach in Sicily.
Its name says it all: Isola Bella
For the descent on foot it is recommended comfortable shoes, water in the backpack and stop every so often to recover from the numerous descent stairs.
It is duly signposted at all times and the path does not entail too many complications. In addition you will meet small viewpoints where you can take the appropriate photographs to immortalize your time on the island on your Instagram profile and become the envy of the rest.
The other way to descend to Isola Bella is with the funicular that is located a few steps from Porta Messina. This special type of railway (Funivia) links the center of Taormina with the coastal neighborhood of Mazzarò. The advantage of using this means of transport is that only in a matter of minutes you will be in the arena and that the views are also impressive.
Similar to the Capri funicular, this type of transport is widely used in Italy to bridge the distances between the different areas of a town. In this way distances are shortened and you can also enjoy a panoramic view that is unique.
Our recommendation? If time allows it and the strength also, without a doubt make the descent route on foot and the return to the center of Taormina by funicular. In this way you will try the two ways to visit Isola Bella, so that in the end you can choose the one you liked the most. Both options will make you fall in love completely!
Isola Bella is located in the coastal area of Mazzarò
THE HOUSE OF FLORENCE TREVELYAN
Once you get to the beach, you have to choose where to plant the towel. Since this is Italy, you have to take into account that a large area of sand is going to be occupied by hammocks and umbrellas for a fee. You can opt for that option or find a free area and occupy it.
And subsequently? It is time to relax, rest, have a drink, read the book you have in hand, take a refreshing bath and leave things in a safe place for Do some research around the area.
Isola Bella rises right before your eyes, separating two areas of sea where you can dive. And of course, you will have to cross to the small island. When the tide is low (usually midday) a short gravel and pebble path links Isola Bella with the Mazzarò area, turning it into a peninsula.
You can reach it by walking or swimming, to discover an islet full of vegetation with a building on top of it. This enclave keeps a story of comings and goings of owners who have been captivated over the decades by this beautiful place.
People say that the name was coined by the German baron Wihelm von Gloeden and that in 1806 it was donated by Fernando I to the mayor of Taormina, to later be bought in 1890 by the niece of Queen Victoria I, Lady Florence Trevelyan, that she was also the wife of Professor Salvatore Cacciola, mayor of Taormina.
That's when it was built a small house where the English gardener would find the best of her inspirations. It was for a reason that she left England in the late 1890s for Sicily and never returned to her native home in later years, dying in Taormina on October 4, 1907.
the italian summer
During the two decades that she lived on the island of Sicily, Florence Trevelyan gave life on Isola Bella to a spectacular garden with plants and particular species from the Mediterranean area , mixed with all kinds of bushes and other exotic plants.
Thanks to her work and the protection of the owners in the decades after her death, in 1984 the Regional Council for Cultural Assets declared Isola Bella as monument of artistic historical interest considered as a natural enclave that should be cared for, protected and maintained at all times.
Currently, it belongs to the Regional Council of Cultural Assets and is managed by World Wide Fund for Nature.
EVERYTHING THE AREA HAS TO OFFER
Throughout history, Florence Trevelyan has not been the only one to fall in love with Taormina, celebrities such as Elisabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Greta Garbo, Truman Capote, D.H. Lawrence, Tennessee Williams or Roald Dahl they have escaped to this redoubt of the Ionian Sea to find inspiration or relax on a well-deserved vacation.
And what to see apart from Isola Bella? The city of Taormina has a large number of monuments and cultural assets with which to surprise the traveller, such as the Greek Theater of Taormina, Corso Umberto I, Piazza Vittorio Emmanuele, Piazza IX Aprile, the gardens of the Villa Comunale, the Borgo Medievale, Piazza del Duomo, Porta Messina, Porta Catania and the Castello Saraceno , among others. And don't forget to wander and keep wandering until you can't anymore.
Poet, novelist and playwright Goethe defined Taormina as 'paradise on earth' and there can be no more apt description than this.
Taormina Greek Theater